Ten moments that shaped the Ducks' season: A dazzling debut for Marcus Mariota and the Ducks

View full sizeMarcus Mariota completed 18 of 22 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns in his Oregon debut against Arkansas State on Sept. 1.Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

A brief look at 10 moments (in chronological order) that shaped the Ducks' 11-1 march to the Fiesta Bowl:

No. 5: You knew Oregon was fast. But this fast?

At Autzen Stadium on Sept. 1, Oregon scored 50 points against Arkansas State by the 7:06 mark — of the second quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota, the first freshman to start a season opener for Oregon in 22 seasons, led the young UO offense to score touchdowns on their first seven possessions as the Ducks rolled to a 50-3 lead.

That kick-started an impressive September stretch that also included nonconference victories against overmatched Fresno State and Tennessee Tech. After Mariota’s dazzling debut, the biggest question remaining about Oregon’s freshman quarterback was howto pronounce his name (it’s marr-ee-oh-tah).